Blaue Reiter, der (dĕr blou`ə rī`tər) [Ger.,=the blue rider], German expressionist art movement, lasting from 1911 to 1914. It took its name from a painting by Kandinsky, Le cavalier bleu. Following the Brücke Brücke, Die [Ger.,=the bridge], German expressionist art movement, lasting from 1905 to 1913. Influenced by the art of Jugendstil (the German equivalent of art nouveau), Van Gogh, and the primitive sculpture of Africa and the South Seas, the
..... Click the link for more information. artists of the previous decade, this second wave of expressionism expressionism, term used to describe works of art and literature in which the representation of reality is distorted to communicate an inner vision. The expressionist transforms nature rather than imitates it.
..... Click the link for more information. was led by Kandinsky Kandinsky, Wassily or Vasily (kăndĭn`skē, Rus.
..... Click the link for more information. , Klee Klee, Paul (poul klā), 1879–1940, Swiss painter, graphic artist, and art theorist, b. near Bern.
..... Click the link for more information. , Marc Marc, Franz (fränts märk), 1880–1916, German painter. Influenced by August Macke , he developed a rich, chromatic symbolism.
..... Click the link for more information. , and Macke Macke, August (ou`g

st mä`kə), 1887–1914, German painter.
..... Click the link for more information. , in Munich. Through the use of distorted forms and startling color, they sought to discover spiritual truths that they felt the impressionists had overlooked. Less united stylistically and as a group than the Brücke, their art ranged from the sometime pure abstractions of Kandinsky to the romantic imagery of Marc. In 1911, Kandinsky and Marc prepared a significant collection of articles and illustrations published as the "Blaue Reiter" Album. Common to the artists in the group was a philosophical spirit, an intellectual approach to technique, and great lyrical spontaneity. The group disbanded at the outbreak of World War I. Marc and Macke were killed in battle.

Bibliography

See study by H. K. Roethel (tr. 1972).

Blaue Reiter, Der

(German; “The Blue Rider”)

Organization of Expressionist artists formed in Munich in 1911 by Vasily Kandinsky and Franz Marc. The name derived from a volume of essays and illustrations they published. Other members included Paul Klee and August Macke (1887–1914). Influenced by Jugendstil, Cubism, and Futurism but lacking a specific program or philosophy, they exhibited with an international group, including Georges Braque, André Derain, and Pablo Picasso. The group disintegrated at the outbreak of World War I.